ECUC

Increasing high speed train braking capacity

Summary

The ECUC project (grant agreement 314244) is a project led by Ceit-IK4 within the 7th Framework Program that aims to solve the problems related to eddy current brakes that can arise in high speed trains for both emergency and service braking.

These latest-generation contactless brakes face two possible incompatibilities; one is with railway signalling systems, due to possible interferences, and the other is with the rail, due to the increase of temperature and the mechanical stress that it is subjected to.

Objective

Find an effective and implementable solution for increasing the braking capacity of high speed trains in response to the concerns of railway infrastructure administrators.

Ceit-IK4's role

By modelling thermal conductivity (Abacus) and electromagnetic radiation (CST), Ceit-IK4 is able to predict the worst-case conditions in order to reduce the number of on-track and lab tests.